In our decades-long history as America's source for great sound and the music we play it on, we've laid our hands on a great majority of the audio products sold over the past 30 years. From experimenting with tweaks to sampling large inventories of high-performance components in our Chicago-based listening rooms, Music Direct is always out to bring you closer to the music. And so it continues with the line of highly regarded decks from Dr. Feickert Analogue of Bucheim, Germany. The company's unparalleled Black Forest craftsmanship is on full view with the Woodpecker, Blackbird, and Firebird turntables.

To know the line is to know its founder, Chris Feickert. From the age of 13 to receiving his PhD in Physics and Chemistry, he pursued the goal of building 'tables that solve common deficiencies such as speed stability, mechanical vibration, and more. His designs are the result of competent, proven engineering that translates into head-turning vinyl playback, tangible experiences, and near-effortless setup thanks to the company's inimitable quick-sliding armboard systems.

Take, for example, Woodpecker. Reflecting a tireless commitment to engrossing music reproduction, Woodpecker uses a proprietary software-controlled DC motor, 13.2-pound High Inertia Delrin platter with eight MS58 brass inserts for exacting balance and added mass, and inverted stainless-steel bearing – the latter featuring spiral grooves to pump oil and an oil-release grub screw for enhanced motor/bearing interaction. Such chemistry results in wondrous smoothness, effortless balance, and breathtaking stability. Albums you've heard hundreds of times will boast newfound degrees of openness, clarity, drive, and pacing.

In Blackbird, next-level advancements above its gorgeous sibling deck abound, including the presence of an additional motor. The 'table's two motors are placed 180 degrees from each other to ensure the heavy platter operates tangentially, eliminating any possibility of unilateral pulling. Also, tumbling movements get reduced to an absolute minimum and rumble becomes practically immeasurable. No wonder Blackbird arrives as one of the quietest turntables in its class. Our take on a recent listen? Sit-and-up-and-take-notice synchronization, accuracy, detail retrieval, solidity, and liveliness. You'll notice bountiful body from your LPs, as well as black backgrounds and dynamic contrasts that help take the recorded event into your listening room.

Feickert's flagship Firebird is a massive beast of a turntable that furthers the cause of analog playback with its two-arm capability for arms up to 12" and ingeniously engineered three-motor platform. These brushless, three-phase DC motors are laid out in an equilateral triangle form and connected to a proprietary controller in a phase-locked loop that produces extremely low jitter. Along with its siblings, Blackbird offers one-touch speed selection for 33, 45, and 78RPM while "plus" and "minus" buttons let you further incrementally dial in the speed. As for the sonics? Imagine your favorite tracks sounding smooth, lush, focused, poised, etch-free, neutral, and yet powerful and dynamic. Not to be forgotten: The unmistakable look of every Feickert deck. With a sandwich of brushed aluminum top and bottom plates with smooth beveled edges, a tempered MDF body, and real wood veneer panels, each Feickert rig stands as a handmade work of art deserving of the most luxurious environments.

Of course, we sought to match each Feickert model with a tonearm worthy of the Feickert sonic characteristics, and proudly found it in the Kuzma Stogi S 12 VTA. It features a 12-inch unipivot bearing design with a unique, rigid, square solid-aluminum headshell and solid brass base to control all vibration and facilitate stability. Featuring one uninterrupted piece of wire stretching from the headshell to connectors, every part of S 12 VTA arrives machined from solid metal in order to provide superb damping and minimize resonance. The polished pivot point is situated in an oil well, supplying extremely low friction and bearing vibration. The bearing height sits at record level for optimum tracking while the silicone damping controls cartridge resonance and offers stability in azimuth direction. Two counterweights allow easy adjustments of tracking force and azimuth. Fine azimuth adjustment is achieved by rotation of a horizontal screw in the main counterweight, which does not affect other tonearm parameters. Combined with each of these brilliantly executed rigs, analog lovers will find each Feickert model to be above and beyond their expectations. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Need more information? Just leave your comments below. Your Music Direct Audio Consultant is also a phone call away to answer your questions. You can also click on any product listed here.

Keep abreast of the latest news on music and more when you sign up for Music Direct's weekly Soundbytes e-mailer.

The conversation on all things Music Direct continues via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.